A psychologist's experience of cancer and life

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Out, darn gout: the neverending story

I love Dr. Family, in a patient-doctor sort of way. She is sharp, effective, and compassionate. When I need her, she is there, three days per week. I simply have to plan my medical crises on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

In the past when I’ve called her office needing an urgent appointment, her assistants have slotted me in promptly, usually the same day. But because there are many babies being born amongst her staff, these assistants are largely unfamiliar with me. They do not realize that I never call without a reason, and that, when I do call, I need to be seen promptly.

Last week, in the midst of fretting about Jelly’s health, I was also concerned about my own. My gouty finger was not healing and I decided a call to my trusted professional was overdue. I contacted the office first thing Monday morning and had an appointment within a few hours.

Dr. Family assessed me, and gave me a clear plan of action, which I followed to the letter. It helped but only temporarily. She also told me to call later in the week if I needed further help. So I did, only to be told that the doctor was too busy to see me that day.

I understand. Dr. Family only has so many hours in the day, and as attentive as she is when I see her, she could not slot in another appointment that day. But I still needed help before the weekend, so I asked Ms. New Girl if I might email the doctor a picture so she could give me some direction. I was pushing the boundaries here, but only because I was at a loss.

I’d love to publish the picture I sent Dr. Family here, but to date I’ve spared you all gruesome images of my ailing body parts. I fear I’d give many of you, my faithful readers, nightmares if I shared the frightening shot of my gouty finger here.

Imagine a cluster of tiny mushrooms trying to burst through the end of my finger. That’s not as scary as the real thing, is it? I guess you can’t really judge since you haven’t seen the photograph, but trust me, it is.

Upon seeing my miraculous feat of nature, Dr. Family called me promptly but I missed her. Then she diligently consulted with a colleague, who suggested a new course of action. When I called back, Ms. New Girl told me not only to come in, but to stop by my pharmacy along the way to pick up a medication she would be injecting. Saved by the picture.

I’m not Dr. Family’s only patient, and I can’t expect her to fit me in whenever I need her. I could go to a drop-in medical clinic and discuss the matter with an unfamiliar doctor that does not have access to my medical history, but imagine how long it would take to bring that doctor up to speed. Whenever I can, I prefer to return to the doctors’ office where everybody (now) knows my name. Thankfully, Dr. Family agrees.

The injection worked famously. My little mushrooms are slowly disappearing, along with the pain they’ve caused. And so the saga comes to an end.